Farmington Fresh, a Stockton, CA-based cherry, apple and pear packer, has moved its sales and marketing to Rivermaid Trading Co. in Lodi, CA.

The Farmington Fresh agreement, together with the stone fruit and grape volume added through its purchase of Wespak Sales and Enns Packing in 2012, represents an additional 2 million cartons for Rivermaid. The additional volume places Rivermaid among California's larger fresh cherry growers and marketers.

Phil Colson, former president of C&E Farms, headquartered in Cheriton, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, died Feb. 14 at his winter home on Marco Island, FL, following a battle with emphysema. He was 76.

The Vidalia Onion Committee hosted its annual awards banquet Feb. 16 at the Hawks Point Golf Club in Vidalia, GA, for growers in the seven-county south Georgia area that is home to production of the famous sweet onion. Ray Farms Inc. in Glennville, GA, was named Grower of the Year. The award was presented to Danny Ray by Committee Chairman Kevin Hendrix of Hendrix Produce in Metter, GA. Named to the Vidalia Onion Growers Hall of Fame were Buck Shuman, who was inducted by his son John Shuman of Shuman Produce Inc.

Iota, LA-based Garber Farms launched its new website four months ago. “It is there mainly for general information, but we’re enjoying the responses that we’re getting to it,” said Matthew Garber, a company partner. “There is a video on the site that we had some fun creating and filming.”

Set to some real “down-home, Louisiana-style” music, the video takes viewers through Garber Farms’ operation, from the field to harvesting, storage, sorting, packing and sales.

“With the exception of our heirloom tomatoes, Southern Specialties grows, imports and processes a wide range of products from Central and South America, Canada and Mexico,” Charlie Eagle, vice president of business development for the Pompano Beach, FL-based company told The Produce News. “Our line is compiled of ‘Southern Selects’ French beans, green and white asparagus, hand-peeled Brussels sprouts, hand-peeled baby carrots with tops, hand-peeled rainbow baby carrots with tops, sugar snap peas, snow peas, yellow beans, baby squash, limes and more.”

“Our new ‘Sunset’ brand was unveiled last fall at the PMA [Produce Marketing Association] Fresh Summit expo,” said Chris Veillon, marketing director for Mastronardi Produce, headquartered in Kingsville, ON. “We will now bring this same fresh new look — along with some other new concepts that we have been working on — to the Southeast Produce Council’s 2013 Southern Exposure in Orlando, FL, on Feb. 28–March 2.”